Thematically this place really hits the mark but service wise, I don't think you can even expect the bartenders to remember who ordered what drink. The music was offensively awful and the first room you enter is claustrophobically small. As for the prices I'm sure that the volcano cost more than it should of and despite having little tolerance I didn't get much out of it buzz wise. In fact ordering it was a pretty big pain in the ass. We did not really feel comfortable in the area that this bar is located after the sunset.
Review Source:I guess I'll start off with the positives about this place...there weren't that many. It has a nice feel to it and the decorations definitely match its name. When I first walked in, I noticed how musty and humid the air was. It was either they tried to replicate the humid beach air...or that's just the result of too many sweaty bodies under one roof. The music was pretty good...mostly mainstream stuff. They have a dance floor, even though it was teeny tiny, but at least there's one.
      And now let the itching begins...! It was way way way too crowded. I literally had to climb over/ karate chop my way through the crowd. The crowd meant waiting forever to get a drink. The service was awful and the bartenders were so rude. I guess I should be a little more forgiving because I would be cranky too if I had to deal with a drunk crowd all night long. However, they did choose this as a profession so I wish they were a little more enthusiastic about it. My friend ordered a "zombie", this light yellow drink that kind of tasted like pina colada. I liked it so I also ordered the same drink, but from a different bartender, since the one that made my friend's drink was busy serving another group. The girl who made my "zombie" handed me this pale red drink. It was pretty dark in there, but I could still tell the difference between red and yellow. I was suspicious so told her that my friend ordered the same thing, but it looked a lot different. She rudely replied that maybe the other bartender made it wrong and then walked away. The drink I got tasted straight up like gasoline. I still don't know what a "zombie" is supposed to taste like...pina colada or gasoline?
     It was a terrible first time experience with the drinks, but I thought maybe I was just unlucky that night. The following week, I gave Tiki Lounge another try, hoping maybe my first time there was just an unlucky glitch. My two friends and I all ordered the SAME drink, yes the "zombie". However we ordered from 3 different bartenders, and ended up with 3 DIFFERENT drinks at 3 different prices (like 25 cents difference)...all with the same name "zombie". So moral of the story...I still don't know what the "zombie" is supposed to taste like. I guess they just make whatever the crap they feel like. Be careful when you order the mixed drinks here. Just play it safe and get a beer or something.
What is the Tiki Lounge?
The Tiki Lounge is wandering down a quiet street in a small town, finding a baby crying on the sidewalk, picking it up, and seeing that the baby has your face. Â That's the Tiki Lounge.
The Tiki Lounge is flying economy class, walking into the airplane bathroom, and re-emerging to find that you're now in Germany, it's 1942, and everyone in the country is jumping up and down in unison in an attempt to sink the entire nation into the ocean and finally end the war of all wars. Â That's the Tiki Lounge.
The Tiki Lounge is watching TV at 2 AM when suddenly your dad shows up on the screen and tells you that he misses you and he wishes he could come back home to you and your mom but he's so much happier on cable because the grass is so much softer to the touch, and then you walk outside into your backyard and your grass has become thousands of copies of Babel on DVD. Â That's the Tiki Lounge.
It is the physical realization of all of your worst fears, a confrontation with your inner demons, a bottomless abyss from which you can never swim free. Â Just with more dancing.
Pro-tip: If you order a Delirium Tremens, just ask for the bottle. Â It is super hard to keep it in the glass chalice it's served in while you're grinding on the floor.
I enjoy the atmosphere and all of the (some would say tacky) decorations & the waterfall! the place has a great vibe as well! I also loved the drink menu. the menu was priced right and they came up with excellent, delicious drink ideas that even i wouldnt of thought of :) for a few bucks more you can get your drink in a take-home souvenir mug! :) overall, we had a great time. i don't think i'll become a regular but ill keep it on my list of cool bars in southside.
Review Source:the tiki lounge itself is pretty awesome, and generally well maintained. the kitsch factor is high, and the fruity drinks are yummy and full of lots of alcohol. although on the expensive side if you purchase with a souvenir mug, why wouldn't you want a rad mug shaped like a parrot or a tiki head or a panda bear?
 the downside to the tiki lounge is probably the clientele, but I must admit, it makes for great people watching.
This review is long overdue. And when I say "overdue," I mean that I haven't set foot in Pittsburgh in over five years, let alone have a drink at what was once my favorite bar. But after reading the more recent reviews, it seems that nothing has changed. And that makes me smile.
I remember driving down Carson Street during my college years, always craning my neck around 20th street to get a glimpse of a dark bar set inside a giant Tiki head. "That's the bar I want to go to on my 21st birthday!" I always announced. And when I finally got inside, I was ecstatic to find that it was everything I thought it would be.
Over the top tiki decorations. Do they still have that fake rain on the ceiling by the front booths? I always loved the downstairs bar more than the upstairs bar, but I think it was only open on the weekends. Corona was always my drink of choice. That cute waterfall by the stairs, the overcrowded dance floor with more guys than girls, the "secret" nook where the skeezy guys would drag their drunken dance partners ... and the bathroom! The bamboo faucet was easily my favorite part of the Tiki Lounge. I looked forward to washing my hands. I dragged my friends inside the bathroom to see it. I wanted (and still kinda want) one for my future home.
I have a lot of memories from this place. Some good, some bad. But surely that is the charm of the Tiki Lounge. The fuzzy cloud of time and nostalgia has probably added a star to my review. But I'm okay with that if you are. I hope the Tiki Lounge never changes.
Love this place. Hate this place. Lists may be easier... Here goes.
Loves - strong tiki drinks in cheeseball ceramic glasses you keep, corny atmosphere, decent prices.
Loathes - mega smoky environment (even the door guy was standing inside and smoking), weekend crowd with iq around 65, music played was far from tropic themed.
I realized the trick was to visit earlier in the evening to have a better time.
I haven't gone on a weekday... but OMG!! going there on a Saturday was AWFUL!! I was there for 15 mins tops. You are shoulder to shoulder with strangers, you have to fight to get in or out of the door. They have one bar, with one bartender. So there is no way you are going to get a drink. I didn't use the bathrooms, but my friend said they were covered in crap. It was a gross experience. PERIOD.
Review Source:So, so over the top that you can't help but love it. But there are two distinctly different experiences that you can have here.
Tiki Lounge during the week: 4 stars. Super chill, friendly bartenders, decent specials. Usually some sort of rock or metal music playing. The best way to describe the crowd is 30-something and 40-something dudes with tattoos and leather jackets. And the occassional stumbling girl on her 21st birthday who is all, "I'M SOOOO EXCITED TO FINALLY GO TO TIKI LOUNGE, GUYS!" and orders the giant punchbowl with 6 umbrella straws and plastic monkeys floating in it and leaves as soon as she finishes it because, "I JUST WANNA DANCE!" (no judgments, we've all been there). So I probably won't meet my future husband at Tiki Lounge, but it's definitely a solid place to have a couple beers (or throwback tropical cocktails in tacky souvenir cups...yes, for real) and catch up with friends.
Tiki Lounge on the weekend: 1 star...sad face. On the weekends, Tiki transforms into a douchebag mecca. Top 40 jams are blaring from the speakers but it's packed so tight with bros and hos that you can't even try to dance to them, and good luck getting a drink. To be fair, sometimes I feel that Tiki is a little bit like Gretchen Weiners in Mean Girls...they can't help it that they're so popular. And you know, if you like the typical Southside experience, do it up! Personally, I'll steer clear until Monday rolls back around.
Other Awesome Things:
-Bingo on Tuesdays
-Waterfall
Update: As I am leaving the Steel City, I decided to visit Tiki Lounge one last time to finally take home some of those crazy cups. I chose two ceramic pandas with straw holes. It might not be your typical Pittsburgh souvenir, but for me, it's the perfect way to remember my 3 years spent here. Tiki Lounge...I'll be back!
Came to Tiki Lounge to meet up with some peeps around 9ish. The decor fits the theme yet it has a slit grimy feel once inside. No cover and the place wasn't crowded yet that we could hear each other talk in the front. Drinks were cheap. I was led to the bathroom and was amazed at how big the venue was - a back and then a downstairs with water flowing along the sides. Kind of dreamy in a hazy mindset. Music was better in the front than in the back though not sure if that is dj dependent. And then Tiki Lounge got super busy once it hit 11ish. Wall to wall with people that if we did not have our table it would be super uncomfortable. Then to top it off one of the bartenders was incredibly rude and kept rolling her eyes whenever we would ask for some drinks or when we went to go close our tab. She wouldn't give me my tab to sign or really acknowledge me until my other friend signed hers. I don't get it! The other bartenders were friendly which goes a long way. I could see myself coming back to Tiki for a few drinks in the early night but because of how this bartender had treated us I'm not sure I would want to. Booo!
Review Source:I hate that I'm giving this place only 1 star, b/c I do like this place at times, but a horrible bartender just ruined it for me. Â I went there recently with a big group of friends. Â You would think we'd be a bartender's dream come true, b/c we are a pretty chill crowd and totally get how hard the service industry can be.
Well this female bartender was not doing herself any favors by consistently giving us the wrong drinks. Â My friend had been drinking Corona Light so she ordered another one (I should mention we did have a bartender change - the initial one had his shit together) with this woman. Â The woman just opens a Corona (regular) and doesn't say anything. Â So my friend is like, oh I ordered a Corona LIGHT. Â And then this bartender is like well we don't have Corona LIGHT.
At this point my friend was like I was just drinking a Corona LIGHT, after a heavy sigh the waitress went over and brought my friend a Corona Light. Â What the heck was that all about?!?! Â
Ok weird, but we can get over it. Â The same thing happened to my friend's husband not 15 minutes later!!! Â Now, we're just questioning her bar-tending skills and it's not like she was apologetic in either instance. Â There was just a lot of sighing and eye rolling on her part - apparently she never got the memo that bar-tending is about customer service. Â And even if you feel that way, it's probably not in your best interest to be huffing and puffing and rolling your eyes around like you're having a seizure in front of the customer.
So here's the icing on the cake and which directly effected the star rating for me. Â I went to close my tab along with 2 of my friends (who also had to close their tabs) and I will admit that I have an intimidating last name, although if you spent time looking at it, you'd realize that it's quite easy if you phonetically pronounce it. Â
But not the point - I tell her my last name and my friends give her their last name. Â She brings over 2 of the 3 tabs and is like ok I have one for a "Serena, Last name I can't even pronounce!" and then calls the names of my other friends. Â Ummm...wouldn't it have been sufficient to say "Serena" - it wasn't like there were 5 "Serena's" waiting to close their tab. Â And perhaps this was just a minor event, but coupled with the other aspects of the night with her - I just couldn't even take it. Â She was so horrible as a bartender and just ignorant as a person!
I just hope if I go there again, she won't be the bartender that night! Â If she is, you can bet that I'll be leaving pronto.
I have never been to a bar quite like this place! I really liked the cheesy decorations! I loved how there are so many places you can hang out and that there is an option for you to dance or relax at a booth or the bar with friends. It can get a little crowded but what's fun about being in an empty bar? I really liked the downstairs bar in the basement. But the poor bartender was all by herself down there so it took a while to get drinks.
I will definitely be going back!
I kind of have a thing for Tiki Lounges (if you do too, and are in SF, you have to check out Tonga Room in the Fairmount Hotel).
Anyway, Tiki Lounge really does cater directly to that craving. You can tell from the entrance alone that they have really incorporated all things Tiki into the design and layout of the bar, even on the way to the loo. Unfortunately, the virtues of the Tiki Lounge don't go much farther. There's an awesome happy hour with free pinball. The beer selection and drinks are good, and the staff are nice, but you get the feeling that this place was awesome in the 80's and somehow fell by the wayside.
I think with a little renovation it could be an amazing bar. Or if they did indoor mini-golf tournaments on Saturday afternoons.
Don't show up here sober. Â The decor is taken very seriously with waterfalls that make the whole downstairs smell like The Log Jammer at Kennywood. Â There are good drink specials, even on weekend nights, if you aren't particular about what kind of liquor is used. Â The music is generally Top 40 and the dance floor is full of wannabe Jersey Shore extras by midnight. Â If you're looking for a place on Carson Street for drunken debauchery, this is your jam.
Review Source:If you're a fan of tiki culture, this place is a must visit. You can tell it was a labor of love to design. If you're just a regular pittsburgh yinzer bar hopper, you might not "get" it and think the decorating was cheesy or take this place for granted.
For a tiki fan, your best bet to beat the Yinzer beer/shot crowd is sometime during the week the earlier in the evening the better. Mixed drinks were good and strong.
Going to start a local TIKI meetup here for Pittsburgh area tikiphiles. See details over at <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftikicentral.com&s=0bdd13d44ea2f4a11bf50f371b950153dda654eb05ae62fce498ffd2b745436c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://tikicentral.com</a> forums.
Cheesy interior, crowded, average music selection in the back dance floor.
Despite all that, Tiki Lounge can be fun if you're in the right frame of mind. It's a long narrow club with the obvious 'tiki' theming. But just get inside, have a few drinks at the basement bar (avoid the first level as it's always too overcrowded), hit the dance floor, pray they don't play too much Lady GaGa.
The female bartender in the basement bar knows her stuff; the guy, not so much. It's a bit of a college/hot mess type of crowd but hey, sometimes we all need a little dirrty in our lives.
I'll admit, I had my misgivings about this place... At first glance, the only word that came to mind was: CHEESY.
I walked in to see a casual Hawaiian bar theme going on... became confused when I took a few more steps and realized there was a dancing room in the back... I took the stairs down and re-entered yet another room with a Tiki bar setup.
At first, I was thinking, "this is just weird." After a few more drinks, however, I kinda liked that there were different themes going on in different parts of the bar... Not to mention, my gfs and I made some new friends that night. (That always helps!)
Honestly, I went in with little to no expectations and so, I was bound to win that night. (Or I'm glad that I did anyway.) But fyi, this is definitely not a "lounge". It's more of a bar than anything else.
OHHHH, and did I mention? $5.50 for a jager bomb?! That's insanely cheap. Definitely a nice change from the $15-20 jager bombs in NYC and DC!
I kinda felt like I was on the set of Legends of the Hidden Temple at this bar. Almec might have been the bouncer. I was only here for an hour so I might not have gotten the full experience and I wasn't drinking.
This bar had a lot of "nooks and crannies" Â and drunk twosome were certainly aware of this.
Pro: Funny Female Bartender in the basement (Some wasted guy was hitting on her and she was just making fun of him), Visually stimulating, Random Music, Multiple bars
Cons: Smoking, smelled a bit like a water park, security was creepy (that's weird,right?)
I will go back for the complete experience.
i typically hate bars like this, but there's something about tiki that i just can't hate on.
theme bars walk a fine-line, but this place goes balls out, and it ends up working for them. i mean there's a god damn waterfall in the back.
don't get too drunk or you may think you've wandered onto the most insane mini-golf course of your life.
The atmosphere here is really neat. Â The drinks are bit pricey. Â It gets really busy on the weekends, we tend to hit it up on thursday nights (thursdays the new friday, right?). Â I can honestly say, besides the fact that they blast the music at a level so high you can't even have a conversation with the bartender about your order, this place is relatively tolerable.
Review Source:Every time I'm in town I stop by this place since I went to school with some of the guys who tend bar here. While the place isn't the greatest, mostly due to the fact that it's about twenty feet from wall to wall at its widest point, I'll give it an above-average (for me) three stars for originality and spunk. While Tiki bars may be prevalent in Pacific island tourist traps, you don't see too many dahntahn.
Side note: make sure you card the senoritas here to avoid statutory rape charges. Check for ID forgeries. =)
this place is, guess what, decorated like a Tiki Lounge. and they did not skimp on the decor, for real. Â they have a shitload of giant cocktails you are meant to sip from a hollowed out coconut. Â not surprisingly, i stuck with beer. Â can't remember what the music was like. Â not a bad place, was pretty empty the time i went.
Review Source:last night i went to the tiki lounge because the weather was warm and humid in january, and I suddenly felt the urge to be in the jungle amidst the drunken restless natives.
this is the selection of sounds I heard on the dance floor:
hypnotize, notorious B.I.G.
motown philly, boys to men
poison, bel biv devoe
jump around, house of pain
I think that pretty much sums it up for the tiki lounge.
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